SENATE BILL NO. 616


  June 24, 1997, Introduced by Senator DINGELL and referred
       to the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry.
     


        A bill to amend 1994 PA 358, entitled

   "An act to regulate the possession of ferrets; to provide for the
   licensing of ferrets; to provide for requirements for importation
   and rabies control procedures for ferrets; to provide for the
   powers and duties of certain governmental entities; to prescribe
   penalties and provide remedies; and to repeal acts and parts of
   acts,"

   by amending section 2 (MCL 287.892).

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1         Sec. 2.  (1) A person shall not own or harbor a ferret over

 2    12 weeks of age unless the ferret has a current vaccination

 3    against rabies with an approved rabies vaccine administered by a

 4    veterinarian, except that rabies vaccinations are not required

 5    for research ferrets kept at research facilities registered pur-

 6    suant to the public health code,  Act No. 368 of the Public
             Acts

 7     of 1978, being sections 333.1101 to 333.25211 of the
                       Michigan

 8     Compiled Laws  1978 PA 368, MCL 333.1101 TO
                       333.25211.



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 1         (2) A person who owns or harbors a ferret that has bitten,

 2    scratched, caused abrasions or contaminated with saliva or other

 3    infectious material an open wound or mucous membrane of a human

 4    being shall report the incident within 48 hours to the county

 5     public  health department.

 6         (3) A person who owns or harbors a ferret that has poten-

 7    tially exposed a person or other animal to rabies by biting,

 8    scratching, causing abrasions, or contaminating open wounds or

 9    mucous membranes with saliva or other infectious material shall

10    handle the ferret  in  AS FOLLOWS:

11         (A) IN accordance with current published guidelines of the

12    centers of disease control and prevention IF THE FERRET, AT THE

13    TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WAS NOT VACCINATED AS REQUIRED UNDER SUB-

14    SECTION (1).

15         (B) IN THE SAME MANNER AS REQUIRED FOR A DOG THAT HAS A CUR-

16    RENT VACCINATION AGAINST RABIES WHEN THE DOG BITES A HUMAN BEING,

17    IF THE FERRET, AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, WAS VACCINATED AS

18    REQUIRED UNDER SUBSECTION (1).

19         (4) THE DEPARTMENT, THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH, OR A

20    CITY, COUNTY, OR DISTRICT HEALTH DEPARTMENT SHALL NOT REQUIRE

21    EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING WITH RESPECT TO A FERRET DESCRIBED IN

22    SUBSECTION (3)(B):

23         (A) THAT THE FERRET BE EUTHANIZED AND TESTED FOR RABIES,

24    UNLESS THIS PROCEDURE IS REQUIRED FOR A DOG THAT HAS A CURRENT

25    VACCINATION AGAINST RABIES WHEN THE DOG BITES A HUMAN BEING.







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 1         (B) SUBJECT TO SECTION 7, THAT THE FERRET BE QUARANTINED FOR

 2    A PERIOD LONGER THAN THE QUARANTINE PERIOD FOR A DOG THAT HAS A

 3    CURRENT RABIES VACCINATION WHEN THE DOG BITES A HUMAN BEING.

 4         (5)  (4)  A person who owns or harbors a
             ferret shall

 5    produce proof of a valid rabies certificate signed by a veteri-

 6    narian for the ferret upon request of a law enforcement agent or

 7    animal control officer or the director.










































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